Demba Ba – Would selling him be such a bad thing?

Shamrock

Square peg in a round hole?
I’m going to be controversial and suggest that we should actually sell our top scorer. On the face of it this seems crazy, but really thinking about it actually makes sense.

This is not a long article, but an invitation to my fellow bloggers and esteemed readers to debate the pro’s and con’s of letting the big man go. Maybe even an opportunity for a poll! No I don’t mean signing Kamil Grosicki in Demba’s place, but a type of vote on the subject…

Anyhow. Earlier this season Demba was sensational and was banging them in. Sublime free kicks, powerful finishes around the box, great technique closer to goal. As a main striker – the focal point of our team during forward play – the man was unplayable at times. He relished it and the team relished supplying him with the bullets. During this time he became one of the top-three strikers in the Premier League. The thing is though, that was in a standard 4-4-2 with Leon Best doing the hard graft to leave the space for Ba to exploit.

Whilst this was happening, Hatem Ben Arfa struggled to fit the routine, almost archaic 4-4-2 system and many including myself questioned the Frenchman’s future at the club. It was not a problem though, we were winning games and looking pretty solid. Then the Christmas period arrived followed by January.

Leon Best was almost flogged to the farce that is Scottish football, Stevie Taylor was struck down with another long term injury and out of nowhere we signed a striker even better than Demba Ba himself! As these changes swept in, the tides shifted our side’s set up and style of play. The 4-3-2-1 resulted in new #9 and Godlike footballer of the Tyne being Pardew’s new, improved focal point of all things Black and White.

This saw Demba shifted out wide and whilst his Senegalese compatriot banged them in, Ba’s goals disappeared from the radar. Meanwhile Benny boy was a man reborn. He built up an almost telepathic understanding with the Toon Army’s new cult hero and scored arguably the Premier League’s goal of the season. He started to chase back effectively and now looks like one of the best players in the league. Unfortunately Cisse and Ben Arfa’s prominence has come at Demba’s cost.

Don’t get me wrong. He is a grafter and more than does his fair share for the team. He does not go running to the press to complain about playing out of position and is an obvious benefit to Cisse whilst he settles in. But in the long run? When these two play in a 4-4-2 together Benny looks uncomfortable and the team creates a lot less chances with Cabaye sat further back – who is our poor man’s version of Paul Scholes – albeit our version actually knows how to tackle – and pick on kids it would seem.

The long run could see Ba happy to hand over the plaudits – comfortable to see out his footballing days as a workhorse with no star player adorned limelight whilst his international team-mate takes all the glory, waiting patiently for those times when Cisse is injured or unavailable to take his chance as the main man once more – but with a supposed reasonably cheap get out clause in his contract is this really going to happen?

There are plenty of top sides across Europe just begging for a player like Demba to be their main man – especially at a cut price. Once Cisse has settled in will Pardew be asking himself if it would benefit the team to let the for former Hammer go? Benny would benefit from the 4-3-2-1 system and I think the partnership we should concentrate on improving is Cisse-Benny, not Cisse-Ba. Especially with players like Pienaar and Junior Hoilett soon to become available for next to nothing. They would add pace and guile to our advanced wing positions and are both examples of fast, tricky players with an end product that Gutierrez and Obertan lack far too often for my liking.

Another thing to consider is the fact that Pardew seems happy to let Leon Best go. Messi he is not, agreed, but he was great fodder for Demba. If he goes, who can be that distraction fot Ba when Cisse is not about? Shola Ameobi is a great bit part player these days, but a regular starter? No thanks… Nile Ranger? Give it a rest. On top of that – what happens during the African Cup of Nations during 2013? OK this season we fared reasonably soundly – but you can’t tell me we wont suffer next season without our best two strikers. We got off lightly this season due to Senegal’s abysmal display. That probably wont happen again next season…

If Demba moved on to pastures new this summer it would give us the opportunity to replace him with another quality player but from somewhere a little closer to home – who will still be available to us during January/February time…. It may even do our team some good as the last couple of games in particular he has looked a little out of sorts. A bit like a square peg in a round hole… As I said a minute ago, he’s one of our best two strikers in years. But our best formation only has room for one striker. That will always be Cisse, who is just exceptional.

Don’t get me wrong. The man will always have a place in my heart for what he has done for us this season – but I just cannot see him being happy going from the main man to being a workhorse who supplies the bullets to his mate for the rest of his days. That’s a hard pill to swallow when you know how good you can be as the focal point yourself.

[poll id=”67″]

About Shamrock

Like everyone here, support Newcastle United. Not the easiest side to feel good about at times, but it's our side!

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199 thoughts on “Demba Ba – Would selling him be such a bad thing?”

  2. i wonder what we are ganning to do when ANC kicks in,it could mean players being out for up to 2 months when you take in how long it takes to get back up to PL speed,we were lucky last time we got them back early,one of the reasons i would let ba go and bring in another striker as cisse will be missing too along with tiote

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  3. Xisco really annoys me, can’t get into a la liga 2 side yet we’re paying him 50k/pw. Stupid Dennis Wise, he’s worse than commoli. 😡

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  5. DJG….I’m taking that to mean you meant to put Smith and not Xisco? :mrgreen:

    Andy… 😉 Just need to be top 8 for Euro footy there 😯

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  7. @Troy
    What an absolutely ridiculous thing to say. So you dangle a supposed piece of information in front of everyone, only not to divulge any details?!
    In what way is this helpful to anyone reading! 🙄

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  10. Troy..Off topic but we have decided you’re banned from away games ya feckin jinxs 👿

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  11. When the transfer window opens the attention seekers come out to play.. I know a bloke that knows a bloke, can’t say anything, mums the word, you will see, it will be a shock, I told you here first blah blah blah..

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  12. Troy
    Why even bother posting that? Something’s gunna happen that I can’t talk about 🙄

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  13. “In what way is this helpful to anyone reading!”…..it lets us know Troy got back from Merseyside alive and with his typing finger intact! 😉

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  14. Troy @75

    You need to dump your source Colin “CWarr” mate. He’s startinf to embarress you more than your love for wor Joey Barton 😀

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  15. I wonder how much Guthrie and Lovenkrands were on, say it was £20K a week thats £100K a week or £5.2M of the wage bill next year including Smith, all non starting 11 players as well.

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  16. Aussie@86….don’t tease us like that, either say what you know or say nowt 🙄 😆

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  20. “cataclysmic event” doesn’t sound too good, so not a stadium meme change then 😆

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  22. “loose lips sinks ships”….they also makes ya beer run down ya chin 😆

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  24. “i see that **** barton is still at it”…..isn’t he a private detective? :mrgreen:

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  25. Anyone got a list of free transfers going around? No doubt those players will be top of our shopping list 😀

    Troy

    I did hear a rumour from someone I trust about a buy-out attempt from Ashley. But I wouldn’t get too excited. Ashley will only do what he did last time and ask for way beyond the club’s actual value.

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  26. Good article…. I haven’t read the comments yet, but just to say I don’t think the poll question is stated objectively. I mean, if we KNOW we’ll evolve (be better for it), then yeah, sell anyone!

    A more appropriate question IMO would be ‘would you sell Demba Ba on the gamble the team would improve’ or ‘do you think we could form a better team by selling Demba Ba’ etc.

    Therefore I expect the results to be skewed towards yes

    I’m not sure myself, it’s hard to see the future….

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  29. Who could we lose from our list that would be a ‘shock? Cisse would be the only one I reckon.. Won’t be overly surprised by anyone else..

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  30. The cataclysmic event is that the pre-season tour will be in America again!!!! 😯 dumdumdaaaa!!! :mrgreen:

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  31. Susan…I wouldn’t read them all if I were you, full of childish humour…disgraceful 🙄

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  33. Let me see – come on, leave a cryptic post and then go.. Some one give Troy a hug, he needs a little attention by the sounds of it.. ohh the drama of it all 🙂 🙂 🙂

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  36. Hitman
    Troy won’t spill, he might dribble though, with excitement at all the nibbles he is getting…

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  39. JJ told you before you cannot pick on richie its his day off on mo ndays,your the target 😀

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  41. Hitman, the best way to shut Barton up is to stop following him on twitter…. all his followers are giving him a voice..

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  42. I won’t have a bad word said about Ritchie, JJ. Written abuse is fine but never spoken. OK 🙂

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  43. @114

    Sorry Ice, forgot, I’m such a ****…

    Susan, just skip past my posts, I just talk a shower of … anyway.

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  46. Richie @106, but that’s what I love about the blog 😆

    JJ @109, too late I’ve seen him giving you a hard time…. not your day is it 😆

    Hitman, what did he say on twitter? (sorry I can’t help myself!)

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  47. JJ….don’t be so hard on yourself, your post @118 it completely true…bordering on genius you might say 😉

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  51. Totally agree we should sell Ba especially if we can get a winger to play in a front 3 a Pienaar (who looked very impressive yesterday),Hoilett or a Adam Johnson to add some pace and dribbling ability which we lack.
    Ba looks too uncomfortable out on the left and does not seem to work well with cisse when played as a 2 upfront.

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  54. Thanks Hitman & DJG. WOW 😯

    I met him last year at a charity event and he came across as a real sweetie, chatting to people and posing for pics (unlike Lineker who came across as an arrogant pr1ck). Too bad he is clearly just as demented as ever, would have been nice to see someone able to make a change for the better.

    Keep Ba, if at all possible, I say….

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  55. JJ, I thank you mate, its normally me coping the **** 🙂 🙂

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  57. Aussie….I was going to say “there’s only so many times you can poke a pig before it stops being fun”….but it just sounds so wrong, on so many different levels 😆

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  58. aussie magpie fan
    You’re free to have a go at Richie, it must beTuesday there by now… 😆

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  60. Experienced in “poking pigs” then Richie? Or is that just what you’re missus told you when you asked if you could spice things up? 😆 😆

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  63. Great time keeping Rich 🙂 like loose lips I am not touching poking pig jokes 🙂 🙂

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  64. Ice…I know it’s still Monday in Perth 😉

    Rossi might have been canny from Villareal, knacked though. Just hope the lad can recover from his injury 🙁

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  66. I know it’s a tease but I can’t say anymore.

    It will break this week tho.

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  69. Bobby Bullshit strikes again! Look at me everyone!!! Me, me, me, me, me, me me, me me, me, etc.!!!!!!!

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  70. I know what news is as well…. can’t say anything either.. stay tuned people.

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  71. Aussie…Alicante, but hopefully moving up to Javea….which would be just over 1 hour from Levante so geting them in the Europa would be canny 😎

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  74. Woo hoo hoo hoo

    I’ll have Chicken tonight . 😛

    I can only tell you what I’ve told you. Wait and see Chicky. 😛

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  75. Troy, I think you’re just feeling lively since not having to fork over that £1000 is such a massive relief and it’s put the mischief back in you 😉

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